Free Web NovelChapter 21: 21 | Unexpected Kiss
The elevator doors slid open onto the twentieth floor.
Without a word, Dexter wheeled Mira out into the quiet hallway. The carpet was thick and soft beneath the wheels, swallowing all sound. B
ehind them, Lyra gently held Selene’s hand, guiding her slowly as they stepped out of the elevator together.
The four of them walked in complete and heavy silence.
So he stayed silent.
Mira seemed to sense his mood. Every now and then she stole a glance at him from her wheelchair, her lips parting slightly as though she wanted to say something. But the words never came.
Lyra noticed it too. She occasionally looked at him through her smart glasses before quietly lowering her dark eyes again.
No one spoke.
They reached the suite. Dexter unlocked the door and pushed it open.
The room was luxurious — far beyond anything any of them had lived in recently. A spacious living room with elegant sofas, a polished dining table, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city lights below.
A marble bathroom with a bathtub big enough for two. And beyond the living room, a single large bedroom with a bed that was, as promised, enormous.
Without saying anything, Dexter wheeled Mira inside and positioned her near the window. He walked into the bedroom, examined the layout, checked the locks on the windows and other stuffs.
Satisfied, he walked back into the living room and picked up the room service phone.
He ordered dinner for everyone, selecting dishes he thought each of them would enjoy based on what he’d observed over the past week. Mira liked rich, flavorful broths. Lyra ate enormous portions but preferred simple, hearty food. Selene hadn’t shown strong preferences, but she seemed to respond well to warm, soft meals.
Less than twenty minutes later, a staff member arrived with a cart covered in silver plates.
"Here."
Dexter tipped him a 10, then heeled the cart to the dining table, and uncovered each dish carefully, arranging them neatly.
"You should eat while it’s still warm," he said flatly.
Without waiting for a response, Dexter turned and walked toward the door.
There was a perfectly comfortable sofa in the living room. He’d intended to sleep there tonight.
But not yet.
---
The elevator carried him back down to the lobby.
Earlier, when they’d checked in, he’d noticed a small bar tucked into one corner of the ground floor. Warm amber lighting with wood and the faint sound of jazz drifting through the entrance.
The bar wasn’t crowded, but it wasn’t empty either.
Businessmen in loosened ties, a couple sharing a quiet drink, a few weary travelers staring at their phones.
Dexter ignored everyone, took an empty stool at the far end of the counter, and let out a long, slow breath.
The bartender approached with a friendly smile. "What can I get you?"
Dexter stared at the rows of bottles for a moment.
He hadn’t had a drink in weeks. Before the marriage, alcohol had been his way of surviving the Ashford estate.
He’d been an alcoholic, though he rarely admitted it to himself. He’d quit mostly because he couldn’t afford it anymore. Then the system appeared, his wives, and somewhere along the way, he’d simply forgotten that alcohol existed.
"Whiskey," he said quietly. "Neat."
"Coming right up."
A few moments later, the bartender placed a crystal tumbler before him.
Dexter wrapped his fingers around the glass then took a slow sip.
The whiskey burned its way down his throat, warming his chest almost instantly.
He closed his eyes.
"Sigh...I really missed this."
It has been a while truly.
Suddenly, something shifted beside him.
"How long has it been?"
Voice like a thousand mystical Sirens. The feminine voice sounded out from beside him.
Dexter opened his eyes and glanced to his left. A beautiful woman sat two stools away, dark hair cascading over one shoulder, vivid green eyes watching him with quiet amusement. She looked really elegant.
Dexter blinked and then glanced over his shoulder. But there was no one there.
When he looked back, she covered her mouth and chuckled lightly.
Realization dawned, and he gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "You were talking to me?"
She chuckled. "I’d be a weirdo talking to ghosts if I wasn’t."
Dexter rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. Just been stressed out a lot. What were you asking?"
The lady nodded her head and pointed at his glass.
Dexter understood what she meant and replied. "Oh. It’s been three weeks i took a drink last."
She raised her own glass, something pink and fruity. "Mine is 16 hours ."
Dexter bursted out laughing, making the girl laugh too.
She extended a hand. "Rachel."
He shook it. "Dexter."
"Nice to meet you."
"You too."
They both took another sip.
"So," she said, turning slightly on her stool to face him. "What happened today to make you break?"
Dexter stared into his whiskey before giving a dry chuckle. "Family."
She laughed softly. "That bad?"
"It’s... complicated." He looked at her. "What about you?"
She sighed dramatically and raised her glass. "Business."
Dexter blinked. "Business?"
"Yeah. Business has been hectic and dangerous lately."
He shook his head and toasted with her. "To life."
"To tough life."
They smiled and drank up.
Before either of them realized it, the conversation began to flow naturally.
They talked about work stress, about how adulthood somehow became exhausting overnight and how money became the most important things.
Minutes slipped by, the drinks came and went. Dexter switched from whiskey to something lighter. Rachel ordered something sweeter. The jazz played on. The bar slowly emptied around them.
For the first time that day, maybe for the first time in weeks, Dexter smiled without forcing it.
The conversation gradually slowed, Rachel found herself looking at him differently now, a bit warmer.
More specifically, she found herself looking at his lips.
Dexter noticed her gaze linger for a fraction of a second. But was a little tipsy, so he dismissed it.
"I really need to turn in," Rachel said, gathering her purse. "I’ve got a meeting early tomorrow."
Dexter smiled. "It’s been fun."
And he meant it. In the span of an hour, this stranger had made him feel more like a normal human being than anything had in the past three weeks.
She locked her eyes with his and it seemed magnetic. "It’s been fun," she replied.
Then she suddenly leaned forward and kissed him!
